Online therapy without insurance typically costs between $60 and $110 per week for subscription-based platforms, or $100 to $200 per individual session on platforms that charge per appointment. That puts most people’s monthly spending somewhere between $260 and $450, though lower-cost options exist that can bring sessions down to $40 to $70 each.
What Major Platforms Charge Per Week
The two largest online therapy platforms, BetterHelp and Talkspace, both use subscription models rather than charging per session. BetterHelp costs between $70 and $100 per week, billed either weekly or every four weeks. That works out to roughly $260 to $400 per month. Your subscription includes one live session per week, unlimited asynchronous messaging with your therapist, and access to journaling tools and therapeutic worksheets. The exact price depends on your location, therapist availability, and any promotions applied to your account.
Talkspace offers tiered pricing. A messaging-only plan starts at $69 per week. Adding live video sessions brings the cost to $99 per week, and a plan that also includes workshops runs $109 per week. The video plans include up to four live sessions per month, with the option to purchase additional sessions for $65 each. At $99 per week, you’d pay roughly $396 per month for a plan that includes both weekly video sessions and daily messaging access to your therapist.
Per-Session Pricing on Other Platforms
Not every platform uses a subscription model. Some connect you with licensed therapists who charge per appointment, similar to traditional therapy but conducted over video. Grow Therapy, for instance, charges between $100 and $200 per session out of pocket. Octave Therapy starts at $170 per session for individual therapy and $190 for couples or family sessions. These per-session platforms often let you choose your own therapist based on specialty, credentials, and approach, which can justify the higher cost for people with specific needs.
For comparison, in-person therapy in the United States averages $174 per hour-long session when paid out of pocket, based on a 2023 Milliman report. So per-session online platforms land in roughly the same range as in-office visits, while subscription platforms tend to come in lower on a per-session basis.
Budget-Friendly Options Under $70 Per Session
If those numbers feel out of reach, Open Path Psychotherapy Collective is worth knowing about. It’s a nonprofit network of therapists who agree to charge reduced rates. Individual sessions cost between $40 and $70, and couples or family sessions run $40 to $80. Student intern sessions are even lower, at around $30 each. You pay a one-time membership fee of $65 to access the network, after which you book and pay for sessions individually rather than committing to a subscription.
Open Path is designed for people who are struggling financially, so there’s an eligibility component. But the per-session savings are substantial. Someone attending weekly therapy through Open Path might spend $160 to $280 per month plus the initial membership fee, compared to $260 to $400 on BetterHelp or $396-plus on a Talkspace video plan.
Couples Therapy Costs More
Online couples therapy runs higher than individual therapy across the board. On Talkspace, couples therapy costs $109 per week ($436 per month), which includes messaging access and four live sessions. That’s $10 more per week than their comparable individual video plan. On per-session platforms, the difference is similar: Octave charges $190 per couples session versus $170 for individual. Open Path caps couples sessions at $80, compared to $70 for individual.
The markup reflects the added complexity of working with two people, longer sessions in some cases, and the specialized training couples therapists bring. If you and a partner are splitting the cost, it still often works out cheaper per person than individual therapy.
Online Psychiatry Is a Different Price Tier
If you need medication management rather than (or in addition to) talk therapy, online psychiatry follows a different pricing structure. Initial evaluations cost significantly more than follow-up visits because they take longer and involve a full assessment. Doctor on Demand charges $299 for a 45-minute initial assessment and $129 for follow-ups. LiveHealth Online charges $185 for the first evaluation and $80 per follow-up. MDLive runs up to $299 for the initial consultation and up to $159 for subsequent visits.
Some platforms bundle psychiatry into a monthly membership. Brightside Health, for example, charges between $95 and $349 per month depending on the plan. These memberships typically include your appointments, ongoing messaging with your provider, and sometimes the cost of medication itself.
After the initial evaluation, most people see a psychiatrist monthly or every few months for medication check-ins, so the ongoing cost is lower than weekly therapy. But combining therapy and psychiatry adds up quickly without insurance.
How to Estimate Your Monthly Cost
Your total depends on three things: how often you want sessions, whether you need a subscription or prefer per-session billing, and whether you qualify for reduced-cost programs.
- Weekly therapy on a subscription platform: $260 to $450 per month
- Weekly therapy on a per-session platform: $400 to $800 per month
- Weekly therapy through Open Path: $160 to $280 per month (plus $65 one-time fee)
- Biweekly therapy (any platform): Roughly half the above ranges
- Monthly psychiatry follow-ups: $80 to $159 per visit after the initial evaluation
Many people start with weekly sessions and shift to biweekly or monthly as they stabilize, which naturally brings costs down over time. Some subscription platforms also offer financial aid or sliding-scale discounts if you reach out to their support teams directly. It’s worth asking, since these discounts aren’t always advertised on the pricing page.